Description of the 



[No. 3S, 



unreasonably sought to be substantiated as against our right to mark 

 off certain spots of waste land with a view to introducing a regular 

 system of granting it for cultivation. In the tot o^ Ameendevy which 

 will be described afterwards, it was probably otherwise — it was kept 

 for other than cocoanut cultivation. The crust of coral could only 

 be removed with great labour, and a regular system of land marks 

 here too exists. Still, no grants of this land are forthcoming and I 

 have not been able to discover how the families now enjoying it came 

 first into possession : immemorial enjoyment seems the only claim. 

 This is the more extraordinary, as its produce under the coir mono- 

 poly system, could yield nothing towards the support of the Govern- 

 ment. Small nailers of 4 to 8 hoons* were required^^on the death of 

 each of the head inhabitants {Karomar or Moopah) for the continu- 

 ance to their families of small local rights such_^as sitting at the 

 Icoots QX panchayeis, wearing certain ornaments, carrying umbrellas, 

 &:c. but no grants of land ever accompanied privileges. 



Sales,' Mort- No proprietary right to land existing, perpetual alie- 

 gages, Leases, . , , r\ ^ 



Rents, &c. nation is quite unknown as yet. Un trees, mortgages 



are secured, at the rate of one rupee per tree of good 

 quality, the mortgagee entering on possession. Bonds or documents 

 of these transactions have never been preserved ; the recollection of 

 the principal inhabitants and oral tradition are the only guaran- 

 tee for these rights. The fail of the tree is equivalent to the redemp- 

 tion of the mortgage. 



The principal inhabitants, varying in different islands from 10 to 

 20 individuals, own generally considerable numbers of trees — the 

 greater part of which they prefer keeping in their own hands. Most 

 of the inhabitants, however, have small independent properties in trees 

 — for where no proprietary right v/as acknowledged or claimed in 

 the soil each individual became an owner for the trouble of planting. 

 The larger tree owners let trees to those, who have none, on service 

 2'ents only, stipulating that the tenant shall carry on his master's dry 

 cultivation, serve in his boat, &c. and though he has the enjoyment of 

 the whole produce of the trees, and receives also the price of the 

 coir produced on them, he is obliged to export all his coir on his 

 master's boat. If a neera drawer (neera is the local name for the 

 unfermented juice of the cocoa-palm used by the islanders as a drink 



* Pagodas. 



